Harriet Mackenzie writes: This recording was inspired by my long-term working relationships with and respect for these composers. Contemporary music has always interested me. It is exhilarating to receive a score, often unseen by anyone else other than the composer. What is wanted? What is possible? Each piece a new discovery – a voyage into uncharted territories. When one is able to collaborate directly with the composer on a premiere it is a particularly heady mix. The five composers represented here are all now based in Britain, but there is a colourful tapestry of different ethnicities, cultures, interests and influences between them. I feel so lucky and privileged to have worked with each one of these composers with their unique and powerful voices. My hope is that this disk will bring more attention to their work. Each one of these works is a premiere recording, and I am thrilled that the composers were all present for the sessions. The new-ness of these pieces is a wonderful addition to the long-standing reputation and tradition of the ESO, an orchestra which has done so much to champion new and unknown British music for nearly forty years, including their associations with Tippett, McCabe, Maw and Joubert. Now, under the leadership of Kenneth Woods, I am proud that these works are part of that tradition. Harriet Mackenzie